MAGNUS VON HORN | DENMARK, POLAND, SWEDEN | 2024 | 115 MIN | DANISH
In one of the most beautifully expressionistic, upsetting films of the year, Danish filmmaker Magnus von Horn trades the slick personal-fitness world of his 2020 breakout hit Sweat for the bleak, nightmarish streets of post-WWI Denmark. Von Horn uses an arresting score and striking Gothic-influenced black-and-white cinematography to tell the story of Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne), a young woman facing eviction as her hopes have all but disappeared for her husband’s return from the hellish trenches abroad. Karoline finds herself subservient to a local candy store owner, Dagmar Overbye (Trine Dyrholm, PFF28’s Queen of Hearts), who offers shelter in exchange for employment as a wet nurse serving the city’s many surrendered infants. Their altruistic efforts prove to be in stark contrast to the harsh reality the undesirable and abandoned women of Copenhagen face in a patriarchal society, until Karoline discovers the truth. Filled with shocking reveals and ghastly imagery, The Girl with the Needle is not a comforting watch, but it is an immensely powerful, unforgettable incursion into the darkness of humanity.
Cast: Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dyrholm, Besir Zeciri, Joachim Fjelstrup
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